


Unearthly Guide

by RobberBaroness



Series: Darkest Timeline [15]
Category: Arthurian Mythology
Genre: Afterlife, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Epilogue, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:01:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22343731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobberBaroness/pseuds/RobberBaroness
Summary: The time has come for him to pass on, but the land ahead looks so dark and cold...
Series: Darkest Timeline [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1598476
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Unearthly Guide

The sky was grey where Lancelot awoke, as was the water by his side. He’d found himself on the banks of a strange river, with a ferry waiting for him. There was no clear ferryman, but he knew that would not matter, not where he was bound. To the hills in the distance, the hills so dark and cold, of purgatory or hell or something even worse.

To his surprise, Galahad was still there beside him. He was no mere shining man, now, but a creature in his full glory with wings and a flaming sword. Lancelot once would have been afraid to look upon a thing of such beauty and power, but that was a long time ago.

“You’re still here,” Lancelot said. “Why? I was never much of a father. It can’t be for love or duty.”

“A son’s love for his father is not always proportionate to what he deserved.” Galahad sighed. “You may not believe it after all I’ve said, but I idolized you when I was human. Mother...mother is not in heaven, but she raised me to be a godly man because of you. I sat in the Siege Perilous because I told myself that Lancelot du Lac would not have been afraid of a chair, even though you clearly were. I died on the grail quest because I believed it was what you would have wanted of me. It broke my heart when I saw from beyond that you were not the man I thought you were, tormented me such that I could not rest in heaven. And now here we are.”

“Where will this take me?” he asked his son. “Surely I’m not meant to ride this ferry forever.”

“Where you deserve. That’s all I know. It isn’t my decision whether you redeemed yourself or not.”

Lancelot nodded.

“I’m...I’m afraid.” It was the first time he had spoken those words that he could ever remember.

Galahad rested a hand upon his shoulder.

“Everyone is. Well, I was. I imagine Percival and his wife Blanchefleur will travel in relative comfort, though I never knew if that man’s bravery was due to an instant accepting of his circumstances or not being aware of them.”

And the father and son stepped onto the ferry. It proceeded slowly and quietly, though sometimes Lancelot thought he could hear the bubbling of the water below.

“Guinevere?” he asked.

“She is alive and safe.”

“Is Arthur in heaven?”

“Still alive, as far as Our records go. And I can’t seem to find any sign of Gawain or Ragnelle either above or below- they must have fallen through the cracks into some other place. I can make a fairly good guess about Mordred’s destination, but like all things, that isn’t my decision to make.”

Lancelot thought for a moment.

“Tristram?”

“Purgatory was literally made for people like him and Isolde. At least Tristram died defending his lady love, even if it was from an entirely non-existent threat.”

“Gawain’s brothers?”

“Gareth made it to heaven.” Lancelot noticed Gawain made no mention of Agravain or Gaheris.

“Bedivere as well?”

“Naturally.”

Lancelot idly reached out a hand to touch the roiling waters beneath him, and Galahad pulled his hand back.

“The time I fought against Maleagant,” he said, “was the best time of my life. Not because I saved the woman I loved from harm, but because she was grateful to me. I wished for years that another like him would arise, that I could kill over and over for her if it would make her grateful to me. I never even thought about what a torment such a thing would be for Guinevere, only that it would have meant I deserved her. It’s a terrible thing to understand about yourself.”

“Better than not understanding at all.”

Lancelot turned back to Galahad.

“Where I am bound is not a place fit for angels.”

“Perhaps not, but it cannot harm me. I shall be there beside you the whole time. Think of it as a reward or a punishment, whichever way you choose to see it.”

Lancelot allowed Galahad to take him by the hand as they stared into the mists ahead.


End file.
